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So done with snow!

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 583 Views
As I sit and type, and turn my head to look outside, the picture I see is that of an unpainted canvas, a blank page white as the driven snow. Well, yeah, it is snow. To be truthful I’ve had enough, but the thought of a fresh spring appearing from under a freezer burnt landscape keeps me moving ahead. At this point on the weather calendar I’d much rather see the plowing of rich soil instead of...

Uncluttered living is not for wimps

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 584 Views
Have you heard this one? “I can’t part with that cupboard full of spare Tupperware lids because I might find one of the bowls some day.” Or, “I have to hang onto all of my children’s clothes because they are still so nice.” Never mind that the precious tykes are in college, and no one wants toddler clothes from the 90s. Or here’s another: “If I get rid of this hippo head souvenir from...

Social media for dads: The fun stuff

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 708 Views
Editor’s Note: This is the last in a three-part series on today’s “social media,” and how parents are using Facebook, blogs and technology to connect. Today’s column is written by guest columnist Matthew Kauffman Smith, Portland, Ore., who writes occasional media reviews for Third Way Café Web site. I’m probably one of the few people in the world who had an epiphany at Fiesta Texas...

Many find growing plants from their own seed rewarding

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 749 Views
A woman came into the greenhouse last summer asking if we had any Lupine plants. “I have a beautiful Lupine in bloom and I want several more,” she said. Her face fell when I told her that we were sold out of this June-blooming perennial. “Why don’t you save some seeds from the plant you have now?” I asked, “You may not get the same color of flower, but you will get many more Lupine.” “Oh...

Time to take retirement plan distributions?

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 526 Views
You may not have the pictures, suntan or souvenirs to show for it, but if you’re at least 70-1/2, you’ve just finished a “vacation.” And that means you’ll have to do some work — on determining how much to take out of your retirement plans this year. Typically, when you reach 70-1/2, you must start taking withdrawals (required minimum distributions, or RMDs) from your traditional IRA or your...

Vegetarian diet? Get nutrients you need

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 742 Views
My partner used to be a vegetarian, and she wants us to try a vegetarian diet for a few months to see if it helps us feel healthier and possibly drop a few pounds. But aren’t there nutrients we won’t be getting if we don’t eat meat?First, vegetarian diets can be completely healthful. You can get all the nutrients you need from a vegetarian diet, but you’ll have to make sure you eat a wide...

Motherhood – Idol-Style

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 772 Views
Motherhood is a tough gig. Probably the toughest, most exhausting job I have ever had. Moms make mistakes. I know I do. Sometimes, to make ourselves feel better, we pass judgment on other moms. As if we are doing it better than they are. “I would never let my child eat that much ice cream,” you think to yourself. Or “Look at the way he is talking to his mom. I would never put up with that...

Cuckoo for coconut

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 797 Views
Coconut’s back again — and with it many candy treats that have been missing all during the war years. Here’s a yummy candy using coconut that takes only a few minutes to make and has a real professional touch. It uses the semi-sweet chocolate that’s especially for home candy-making. This recipe is so simple to follow that even the younger members of the family can do it easily. Maybe some...

When a hot tub’s waiting, it’s always good to cue up ‘It’s Cold Outside’

  • February 22, 2010
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For some guys, finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift is an arduous pursuit aimed at finding the sweet spot of ardor. So many choices, so many mistakes to be avoided. Until the other night, I believed what my wife had said many years ago; that is, “Don’t ever think you have to get me anything for Valentine’s Day. I have all I want in you.” Which, let’s face it, has gotten me off the hook...

The Music Man comes to West Holmes Feb. 25-28

  • February 22, 2010
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  • 567 Views
There will be a sneaky, conniving intruder to West Holmes High School on Feb. 25-28, and the folks of Holmes County will be the better for it. Members of the West Holmes High School choir will present The Music Man in the Excalibur Theater, with evening shows beginning at 7 p.m. slated for Feb. 25-27, and a 2 p.m. matinee scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28. As the cast prepares for this beloved...